Connection for brake-beam supports.



C. H. WILLIAMS.

CONNECTION FOR BRAKE BEAM SUPPORTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- l9| I917.

w A U 2 SHEETS-SHEET I Lil/mm" C, flawea M/Mm Patented 10% 11, 11917.

C. H. WILLIAMS.

CONNECTION FOR BRAKE BEAM SUPPORTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-19,1917

Patented Dec .11, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- CHARLES HAINES WILLIAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO CHICAGO RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Q CONNECTION FOR BRAKE-BEAM SUPPORTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. Jlll, 191W.

Application filed March 19. 1917. Serial No. 155,755.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Crmnnnsllainns W1L- LiAius, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Connections for Brake-Beam Supports, of which the fol lowing is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to railway car equipment, andpertains specifically to an improved safety device for brake beams.

As is well known in practice, the brake beams in railway trucks are customarily suspended on hangers which permit them to have the necessary swinging movement toward and from the wheels to permit the application and removal of the brakes.

Due to wear and other conditions of service, the brake beams sometimes become detached from their hangings, in which event there is great likelihood of derailment of the truck due to the falling of the brake beam under the wheels. It is already well known practice to provide some sort of a removable safety device below the brake beam, the purpose of which is to catch the latter in the event of its detachment as above described. Such members have been supported in brackets and secured by devices engaging the brackets in such "fashion as to permit the removal of the safety member to allow the unhanging of the brake beam for repair.

The present invention is designed to provide an improved form of mounting for the safety member, such as will permit its instant and easy removal from the truck when desired, yet will retain it firmly in proper position when in place, and relieve its supporting brackets of stresses which would tend to tear them from their mountings. It is the further purpose of the present inven tion to provide an attachment having these characteristics and which will operate automatically to engage the safety member when it is placed in the proper position, and thus facilitate the placing of the safety member and insure its being held in the proper position.

Other and further objects will be obvious or pointed out hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a detail with parts in elevation and parts in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a detail showing a top or plan View of parts;

Fig. 8 is a detail in the nature of atransverse section taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similardetail of a modified form;

Fig. 5 is a similar detail of the arrangement as applied to a third point supporting spring.

Figs. 6, 7, S and 9 show modified forms.

Referring to these illustrations by the reference characters applied, let it be undefstood that 1 designates the spring plank which is a conventional portion of the truck structure, and may vary in form as desired; 2 represents generally the brake beam, which may be of any approved form. A support member 4: is removably affixed to the spring plank or similar part of the truck, in position such that a portion of it extends below the brake beam in position to catch the latter in the event of its detacl'iment from its nor mal supporting means. Any desired or convenient number of the support members 4 may be supplied. In the forms illustrated in Figs. 1 to l inclusive, this support member 4 is in the shape of a rigid channel bar possessing, of course, the necessary strength to sustain the weight of the brake beam. This supporting member is carried in one or more brackets which are mounted on the spring plank in such relationship as to permit the support member i being slidable through them so that it may be inserted and removed at will. llounted on the spring plank in association with the bracket is a spring pressed latch member 6, the spring tendency of which is such as to move it through an aperture 1 in the spring plank and into engagement with the support member 4 when the latter is positioned in the bracket 5. The support member 4 is provided with a'suitable seat ortion 7 which is arranged for cooperation with the latch member 6, and which is so spaced relative to the extremities of the member 4 that the latch member .6 is in engagement with said side when the support member- 4 is in proper position relative to the brake beams. \Vhen the latch member 6 has engagement with the seat portion 7 the support member 4 is held against movement and in operative position, as longitudinal thrusts received by the support member are transmitted directly to the spring plank by virtue of engagement of the latch member in the aperture 1*, and not to the brackets 5 or the heads of their securing rivets. The latch member 6 may be moved out of engagement with the support member 4r to permit the withdrawal of the latter. In the mounting of the device, the latch member 6 is lifted so as to permit the insertion of the support member 4 in the bracket, and then allowed to spring into engagement with the support member, which latter is then moved longitudinally through the bracket until the seat portion 7 reaches the latch member 6, whereupon the latter springs into engagement with the former, and latches the support member against longitudinal movement in either direction. The alinement of the latch member with the bracket 5 insures the seat portion 7 being brought into operative association with the former. IVhen it is desired to remove the support member, the latch member 6 is lifted out of engagement with it, whereupon it may be withdrawn from the bracket.

By virtue of this construction, the roper placing of the safety support is insured, and, due to the direct-engagement of its securing latch with the spring plank, its attachment to the truck is rendered secure while it is readily and instantly removable to afiord access to the brake beam or other truck portions.

In theformjllustrated in Fig. 5, I have shown the attaching arrangement used in conjunction with a third or fourth point supporting spring designated by the numeral 4.

In Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are illustrated modified forms employing angle bars for the support member and specially formed brackets adapted for attachment at the sides of the spring plank. The spring-pressed latch member 6, furthermore, instead of engaging an aperture or indentation in the support member is adapted to cooperate with a notched portion thereof adjacent the margin of the flange.

I am aware, of course, that still other modifications and adaptations of the structure may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of what I claim to be my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a truck, a brake beam support comprising a removable support member carried on a truck portion and disposed in operative association with the brake beam, a bracket member into and out of which the support member is movable, and a manipulative spring-pressed latch member fixed in association with the bracket member and arranged to engage the support member and supporting truck portion under its spring tendency to retain them against relative movement, said bracket and latch member being fixed to a truck portion.

2. In a truck structure, the combination of a bracket affixed to a truck portion, a support member movable into the bracket for operative association with the brake beam, and a manipulative spring-pressed latch member aflixed to a truck portion and disposed in'the path of the movement of the support member into the bracket, said latch member being arranged for cooperation with a truck portion and the support member to retain the latter against removal from the bracket.

.In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 12th day of March, 1917.

CHARLES HAINES WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

EDWARD T. WALKER, FLORENCE PHELPS. 

